First look at the first two Ubuntu handsets

The hardware announced last week is now available to see.

Last week Canonical announced that Ubuntu would ship on handsets from two companies, BQ and Meizu, later this year. This week at MWC in Barcelona the hardware was on display—or at least, prototype hardware was.

Canonical had a working version of the Meizu handset and a plastic model of the BQ. The Meizu MX3 is a fully functional device that's already on the market (running Android) with a Samsung Exynos Octo processor and an 1800×1080 screen.

The MX3 running Ubuntu (albeit a slightly old build, or so I was told).

The MX3 running Ubuntu (albeit a slightly old build, or so I was told).

The styling of the MX3 is honestly a bit on the generic side.

I need to cut my fingernails.

Meizu's approach is to have only a single handset model for sale at any one time, so there's a possibility that Ubuntu will, in fact, launch on the MX3's successor instead. It depends on the exact timing of the releases.

The BQ design was, to my eye, rather more stylish. When it's released, the phone will sport specs that are comfortably midrange (qHD screen, quad core processor) in an angular package.

The BQ has a fairly square profile which I rather enjoy.

The BQ has a fairly square profile which I rather enjoy.

The rear of the BQ.

Detailing on the bottom of the BQ handset.

What are those Android buttons doing there?

We wouldn't be entirely surprised to see an Android version of the BQ phone; a shot of the front taken under bright flash revealed cutouts for Android-style capacitive buttons. Ubuntu, with its edge-driven user interface, has no need for such things.